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Catch-up coffee Monday: August 17

Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s weekly news feature, Catch-up coffee Monday. Each Monday we will bring you the best news from the previous week that you may have missed. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us!

Steam Boy gets a new name, release date

It’s finally happening: the handheld Steam device announced at E3 2014 has a reasonable release date window! Previously known at Steam Boy, the gaming device has officially been named Smach Zero. The Smach Zero looks like a PS Vita meets a Steam controller, and boasts 4GB of RAM, 32GB internal storage (if you consider that boast-worthy), a 720p touchscreen, Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity, and HDMI output. It runs SteamOS, designed by Valve. The Smach Zero will launch late 2016 (Q4) but preorders begin on November 10 of this year. The preorder price is $299 USD, but the price is expected to rise for those who wait until closer to release (or – for shame – post-release) to purchase it.

The Flock is coming this week

A few weeks ago we discussed The Flock, a multiplayer thriller game with a limited bank of lives. Once the lives run out, the game dies with it. We now have a little bit more information about the game’s launch, how many lives it will have, and how it plays. Dutch developer Vogelsap will release The Flock via Steam, Hundle Bundle, and its website on August 21. The number of lives available: 215,358,979. It may seem like a lot, but keep in mind that number remains the same regardless of how many users are playing (and dying); the only way it will increase is if it is released on new platforms. The number of lives is actually the number of playable characters in the game (The Flock, from which the title was born). Vogelsap has released a wonderful FAQ about the limited population, so check it out for more information.

The Binding of Isaac’s creator releasing a new game

Remember The Binding of Isaac, the game from four years ago where players control a naked child as they explore the basement to escape their murderous mother? The game was dark, inspired by the biblical story of the same name and touching on themes such as child abuse, abortion, and (obviously) religion. Edmund McMillen, one of two creators of the game, has a new game coming to Steam on August 18: Fingered! The game explores how perception effects reality. It is described as a “hyperrealistic police sim where you must finger the guilty and clean up this dark city.”

Sword Art Online: Lost Song release date

Bandai Namco has granted a worldwide wish with the announcement of Sword Art Online: Lost Song’s Western release date. The PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita game will be released on November 13, 2015 in Australia, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. North Americans, don’t fret, as the game is expected to be released there despite the current lack of an announcement regarding the date. Lost Song is a sequel to Sword Art Online: Hollowed Fragment (you can read our review here).

Does any of this news tickle your fancy or make you steaming mad? Let us know in the comments! And meet us again next week for a new edition of Catch-up coffee Monday.

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